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Wednesday, 15 June 2011

Rescued from a city slum

Living in a city slum, defeated by poverty and unable to feed her children, a desperate single mother, Neema, made a cry for help.

And in looking for the best way to help this family in crisis, the local children's office called on the Happy House.

Director Mama Sue, social worker Billy and volunteer Lynn went straight to Malindi to assess the situation for themselves finding the mum of six in despair with no means of caring for her twins, born in March, let alone her four older children aged from six to 11.

At 33, she has given birth to eight children, six of whom surive, and without any support from the fathers her children have been unable to attend school and have been living in abject poverty - some living with her and some with her own mother.

Twins, Peter and Paul, are now in the safe and loving care of the Happy House, giving Neema (pictured getting her babies ready to leave) an opportunity to try to rebuild her life.

And as an initial step she has also agreed to permanent family planning measures to ensure there would be no more babies.

Billy reports: " We found the family living in absolute poverty and the mom needed to be relieved of some of the in order to help her reorgainse her life for the sake of her family."

Taking the twins from their mother and home to the Happy House was a moving experience for everyone. Lynn says: "We arrived back home, drained and emotional. As Sue says the Happy House exists, to help the neediest and will continue to do so - so long as we have the available funds and, of course, can attract new child sponsors into our family."